Transportation Planners Career, Salary and Skills
Transportation Planners have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $101,110 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 37,100. Wage data is published for 163 locations.
Occupation description
Prepare studies for proposed transportation projects. Gather, compile, and analyze data. Study the use and operation of transportation systems. Develop transportation models or simulations.
O*NET code
19-3099.01
Job zone
4
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Experience
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$101,110
Hourly median
$48.61
Employment
37,100
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Speaking | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Active Listening | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Writing | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Active Learning | 3.75 | 4.12 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.75 | 4.12 |
| Coordination | 3.62 | 3.75 |
Typical tasks
- Analyze information from traffic counting programs.
- Define regional or local transportation planning problems or priorities.
- Participate in public meetings or hearings to explain planning proposals, to gather feedback from those affected by projects, or to achieve consensus on project designs.
- Prepare reports or recommendations on transportation planning.
- Collaborate with engineers to research, analyze, or resolve complex transportation design issues.
- Recommend transportation system improvements or projects, based on economic, population, land-use, or traffic projections.
- Develop computer models to address transportation planning issues.
- Evaluate transportation project needs or costs.
Technology
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
- Bentley MicroStation
- Caliper TransCAD
- Citilabs Cube
- Crash Mapping Analysis Tool CMAT
- Dowling Associates TRAFFIX
- ESRI ArcGIS software
- ESRI ArcView
- Geographic information system GIS software
Transportation Planners salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Transportation Planners Salary in Washington, DCMedian $138,250 · Employment 6,220
- Transportation Planners Salary in NYMedian $104,770 · Employment 3,410
- Transportation Planners Salary in VAMedian $140,670 · Employment 3,380
- Transportation Planners Salary in CAMedian $97,900 · Employment 2,970
- Transportation Planners Salary in New York, NYMedian $107,170 · Employment 2,700
- Transportation Planners Salary in MDMedian $131,810 · Employment 2,600
- Transportation Planners Salary in DCMedian $128,440 · Employment 2,480
- Transportation Planners Salary in TXMedian $101,800 · Employment 2,260
- Transportation Planners Salary in NCMedian $81,420 · Employment 1,770
- Transportation Planners Salary in FLMedian $83,460 · Employment 1,740
- Transportation Planners Salary in OHMedian $98,630 · Employment 1,520
- Transportation Planners Salary in GAMedian $91,210 · Employment 1,510
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- Climate Change Policy AnalystsNational median $82,220
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- Chief Sustainability OfficersNational median $213,990
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.